BrandDigital | BrandSimple: The Blog

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I wasn’t invited to the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, where leaders representing over 85% of the world’s economy are meeting to tackle world issues. I was, however, invited to write a column for Ad Age about the fact that consumers are more motivated than ever to choose brands that improve lives beyond their own. More so, that the very meaning of the terms “good brand or bad brand” have taken on entirely new meaning in a marketplace where corporate environmental and social responsibility is matched in interest only by the digital technology that makes it so easy to track and spread. When I say “good brand, bad brand,” I’m not referring companies who have taken up the mantle of cause-related marketing or philanthropy but, rather, companies who have made a considered decision to link their a brand benefit with social purpose and are becoming category leaders as a result. After you read the headlines about the world leaders, take a minute to read about some pretty impressive brand leaders who are making it easier for consumers to make a difference.

The jury may have weighed in on this year’s Emmy winners, but it’s definitely still out on the newest iteration of Jay Leno’s presence. While many herald, “The Jay Leno Show,” airing weeknights at 10 P.M., as the next wave of broadcast television – lower cost, easier to produce, and more personal than sit-coms and hour-long dramas – others say it’s not quite living up the expectations set by the weeks of PR and advertising that preceded it. While I’m not a TV critic, a professional one, that is, I do know an interesting branding idea when I see one. And as I explain in my newest column in Forbes online, I think that what Jay’s producers at NBC did was nicely in line with classic Branding 101. Tune in and take a read.

Image permission being requested via The Ampersand

Macmillan, the Parent company of my publisher Palgrave, has invited me to participate in a promotion to celebrate the paperback release of my new book, BrandDigital. They’ve set up a three-book prize giveaway, which includes BrandDigital, my first book, BrandSimple, and a book by Erika Andersen entitled, Being Strategic.

Here’s how to win: Write a comment on this post naming a company any size or industry that you think is being strategic about their brand; approaching branding in ways that are both innovative and powerfully focused on the future.

Erika will be posting this on her blog, as well, and Macmillan will choose 3 winners from the entries we receive. We’ll announce the winners on our blogs, and each winner will receive his or her copies of the three books directly from Macmillan. (And now for the legalese: the contest is only open to US and Canadian residents, and the prizes cant be sent to a PO box.)

The contest starts right now and ends on November 2nd, so start your mental engines!

I look forward to reading your comments….

Tennis was only part of the attraction for me and my son during our day at the U.S. Open. Sure, the players were super to watch. But, for each of us there were other activities of interest. For Josh, it was getting his picture taken at any number of venues (that’s us in front of the Lexus booth), and picking up souvenirs. For me, on the other hand, it was taking in the parallel competition going on at the tournament – the competition among the myriad brands vying for our attention. What struck me was what a perfect test site the U.S. Open is for those in the branding game. It was clear which companies on site knew how to use the many new branding channels, especially digital, to their advantage and also keep their initiatives consistent with their brands’ promises. Given the increase in both channels and brands, getting consumers to pay attention is getting more and more challenging. To get my take on which brands are playing the game better than others, take a look at my recent column in Forbes Online. Maybe not as thrilling as Federer or Roddick, but interesting for those keeping branding scores.

(permission being requested)

Like many marketing people of a certain age, in the early days of my career I occasionally ran into some authentic “mad men.” For those of us who had this opportunity, it makes watching the AMC series of the same name all the more enjoyable. The producers and writers of “Mad Men” have captured all the nuances of the ad game back in the days when smoking, drinking, and political incorrectness were as common in the agency world as thin-lapelled suits, skinny ties, and IBM Selectric typewriters. And it’s this very authenticity that makes the “Mad Men” brand so compelling.

From my professional branding POV, I can tell you that authenticity is one of the benchmarks of brand success. From the inside out, the voice, the look and the texture of the most powerful brands never veer away from their original promise or intended meaning. As the third season of this award-winning show begins, viewers will expect more of the same period clothes, furniture, cocktails, and misogynist behavior and, if the folks in charge of “Mad Men” want to continue their TV-brand success story, they’ll deliver the goods.

While the rules of creating powerful brands have not changed over the last several decades, many other things associated with the industry have. The dress code, certainly. Thankfully, the political incorrectness. And, of course, the technology. It was with tongues in cheek that a group of colleagues and I decided to see what “Mad Men” would feel like if it was fast-forwarded to this blogging, tweeting, Facebooking digital world of marketing. The incongruity between the words and the characters is quite humorous but, then again, it’s meant to be. What still holds, however, is the authenticity of how good ad campaigns get built. Do away with the boozing and adultery and there may be hope for Sterling Cooper, yet. But this wouldn’t be authentic, would it? Take a look.

Do you know the best way to get white lime deposits off a stone wall? Fill in the ever-widening hole around a pipe leading to the air conditioning unit? Get mice from settling permanently into your garage? I do. Well, actually, the folks at my local Ace Hardware store in rural New York do. I’ve become a regular Saturday morning customer and I have yet to stump them with my questions. They’re always happy to answer and, better yet, patiently explain to this city slicker how to go about personally administering whatever new house and garden ailments arise.

I bring this up, not because I want to brag about my knowledge of muric acid as a stone wall cleaner, but because as a surveyor and conveyor of all things brands, it’s become increasingly clear that in this digital marketplace it’s often the personal touch that can differentiate a brand from its competition. That’s right, human interaction. In a recent article in Forbes Online, I write more about the companies like Ace that get this point, and those trying to achieve the right balance between real and virtual branding. Take a read. And in the meantime, if you have a problem with mice in your garage, take a ride to your local Ace Hardware store. They’ll know what to do.

photo courtesy of OldOnliner via Flickr

(photo courtesy of justHugo via Flickr)

How well are companies doing at doing the right thing these days? Actually, they’re doing great things in the areas of green behavior, human rights, education, philanthropy, and the like. What they’re not doing so well is getting recognized by consumers for their good deeds. And the fact is, consumers will more likely take out their wallets for those brands they feel are helping make the world a better place. Those brands doing the best job at getting the credit they deserve are those that link their social behavior with their brand’s promise. Take a read of my latest column in Forbes Online and you’ll learn about companies who are succeeding at this effort and how they — and the world — are reaping the benefits.

It was with great interest that I read a recent article in the New York Times about how Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are turning away from tradtional PR to spread news of their newly-hatched companies and turning straight to the tactics likely to make them richer entrepreneurs – digital technology and, in particular, the technology that facilitates word-of-mouth. You don’t have to be an entrepreneur, or even a Silicon Valley resident to understand the innate capabilities of digital technology to spread news, be it good or bad, truth or heresay. The reason for my great interest in this Times article was how it echoed the sentiments in a piece I just wrote for this week’s print edition of Brandweek magazine about GM’s “Reinvention” campaign. In it I explain that while this once-mighty brand set forth its new promise to become a more efficient company in a series of television ads, this top-down pronouncement isn’t going win any friends or influence people. It’s only when people start tweeting, blogging and spreading their experiences under the digital magnifying glass that proof of its promise will be validated – and credible.